Sign supporting bracket



J1me 1959 A. s. MARTIN ET AL SIGN SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Dec. 28, 1955 INVENTOR. E.Mc Cjeary WJ ATTORNEY United States Patent.

Patented June 2, 1959 fitice SIGN SUPPORTING BRACIGET Andrew S. Martin, Salem, and James E. McCleary, Aurora, Ohio Application December 28, 1955, Serial No. 555,905 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-324) This invention relates to an improved sign supporting bracket and more particularly to a bracket which may be attached to an overhead Wire or cable and act to suspend a sign there below.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a sign supporting bracket by means of which a sign may be positioned above a roadway on a supporting cable regardless of the angle or inclination of the cable with respect to the roadway.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sign supporting bracket incorporating means for holding the sign supporting portion of the bracket at a predetermined angle with respect to the cable engaging portion of the bracket.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sign supporting bracket of simple and economic manufacture capable of being readily adjusted to locate a sign supported thereby crosswise of a street or roadway.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sign supporting bracket incorporating improved universally adjustable means permitting the bracket to be attached to an overhead wire or cable running at any inclination or any angle to a roadway therebeneath so that a sign supported from the bracket will be at right angles to the roadway.

The sign supporting bracket disclosed herein comprises an improvement over that shown in our co-pending application for patent Serial No. 530,056, filed August 23, 1955, and particularly with respect to the means for locking the sign supporting portion of the bracket in relation to the cable engaging portion thereof and with respect to the cable engaging portions, per se.

The sign supporting bracket disclosed herein is particularly suitable for use in supporting highway and street directional signs above a street or roadway. The bracket makes it possible to position such signs from available overhead wires or cables which may or may not run transversely of the roadway or at an angle parallel with the surface of the roadway. For example, one-way street direction signs, caution signs, etc., may be mounted at various places above a roadway or street through the use of the bracket with each of the signs being uniformly positioned transversely of the roadway despite the positioning of the supporting cable or the inclination thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the function and scope of the in vention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sign supporting bracket showing a portion of a supporting wire or cable and a portion of a sign.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the sign supporting bracket with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the sign supporting bracket with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged exploded view of portions of the sign supporting bracket shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of portions of a modified sign supporting bracket.

By referring now to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that a sign 10 is supported on an overhead wire or cable 11 by means of a sign supporting bracket comprising an L-shaped body member 12 having a V-shaped body member 13 fastened to the uppermost end thereof by means of a fastener such as a bolt and nut assembly 14.

The lower horizontal portion of the L-shaped body member 12 has a serrated edged disc 15 secured thereto by a pair of fasteners such as rivets 16-16. The serrated edged disc 15 and the horizontal portion of the L-shaped member 12 have a central opening therethrough through which a bolt and nut assembly 17 is positioned. The serrated edged disc 15 registers in a serrated edged opening 18 formed in a rectangular member 19 which in turn is affixed to a horizontal section 20 of an inverted U-shaped member 21, the arms of which are disposed at a substantially ninety degree angle to one another and each of which is twisted in a half-turn inter mediate their ends, as indicated by the numerals 22-22, thereby causing the endportions of the arms of the inverted U-shaped member 21 to lie on vertical planes while the intermediate horizontal portion lies on a horizontal plane. The outermost ends of the arms of the inverted U-shaped member 21 are apertured. for the reception of pairs of fasteners 23-23, such as nut and bolt assemblies, by means of which the arms of the inverted U-shaped member 21 are secured to the sign 10.

It will thus be seen that the L-shaped body member 12 may be disposed at any angle with respect to the position of the sign 10 by loosening the nut and bolt assembly 17, raising the serrated edged disc 15 out of engagement with the serrated edged opening 18 and revolving the same to such desired position and rte-engaging the serrated edged disc 15 in the serrated edged opening 18 and securing the same by tightening the fastener or nut and bolt assembly 17.

The upper ends of the V-shaped member 13 which is fastened to the upper end of the L-shaped body member 12 are each apertured and provided with U-bolts 24-24 which are passed through openings in cable conforming brackets 25-25 and provided at their opposite ends on the back side of the V-shaped member 13 with nuts threadably engaged on the U-bolts 24-24 so that tightening the same causes the U-bolts 2-24 to clamp tightly upon the cable 11 and force it into close nonmoving engagement with the cable conforming brackets 25-25. The cable conforming brackets include projecting ribs defining portions of a spiral pattern which engage between the strands of the spirally wrapped cable 11 and thereby prevent the U-bolts 24-24 from rotating with respect to the cable 11 when the same are properly secured thereon.

In Figure 4 the serrated edged disc 15 will be seen in exploded relation to the serrated edged opening 18 to the rectangular body member 19. By referring to Figure 4 and Figures 1 through 3 of the drawings it will be seen that the rectangular member 19 is secured to the intermediate portion 20 of the inverted semi-U-shaped member 21 by a plurality of rivets 26-26.

It will thus be seen that the improved form of sign supporting bracket disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention and comprises a substantial imtofore referred to, is provided with a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced depressions 28-28 centrally thereof and about a central opening 29 and it is secured to an intermediate horizontal portion of an inverted semi-U-shaped sign engaging member 31 which compares with the semi-U-shaped member 21 heretofore referred to.

A disc 32 having a plurality of radially extending circumferentially spaced stamped ribs 33 on its lowermost surface is arranged to register with the depressions 28 in the rectangular body member 27 when engaged thereon and secured thereagainst as by positioning a fastener (not shown) through an opening 34 therein and through the opening 29 in the rectangular body member 27. An L-shaped body member 35 is secured as by rivets 3636 to the disc 32 and is adapted to have a device on its I uppermost end by which it may be clamped to an overhead cable as in the case of the preferred form of the invention heretofore referred to.

It will thus be observed that the angle of the cable 11 4- body member, cable attaching means adjustably secured to the upper end of said L-shaped member and a serrated edged disc secured to the lower portion of said L-shaped body member, an inverted U-shaped member for attachment -to a sign to be supported, a flat body member secured to said U-shaped member, said flat body member having a serrated edged opening therein of a size and shape receiving said serrated edged disc in registry therein, a fastener detachably extending through said disc, and said U-shaped body member and Securing said sign supporting bracket in assembly.

2. A sign supporting bracket comprising a substantially flat member having an opening therein, the edges of the opening having a plurality of spaced projecting teeth thereabout, a rigid strap-like member positioned across the bottom of said flat member and secured thereto, and downwardly depending arms on said rigid strap-like member having fasteners adjacent their ends for engaging a sign, a .disc of a diameter to register in said opening in said fiat vmember and having circumferentially spaced teeth for registry between the teeth or" said: opening and positioned in said opening, an L-shaped member secured to the upper surface of said disc with a portion of said L-shaped member extending vertically thereabove, a V- shaped member the base of which is adjustably secured to said vertically extending portion of said L-shaped member and cable engaging clamps adjustably secured one on each upper end of said V-shaped member, afastener with respect to the desired position of the sign 10 may 7,

, be matched by adjusting the sign supporting bracket as .hereinbefore described and that the device therefore makes possible the quick and easy installation of overhead signs by attaching them to existing wires or cables regardless of their angular positioning with respect to the desired location of the sign.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:'

1. A sign supporting bracket comprising an L-shaped positioned through openings in said L-shaped member, said disc and said rigid strap-like member and securing said disc in said opening in said flat member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,107,488 Bujger- Aug. 18, 1914 1 1,151,920 Barton ..:Aug. 31, 1915 1,218,531 Dilthey Mar. 6, 1917 1,824,368 Ramsey et a1. Sept. 22,1931 1,945,575 Sumpter Feb. 6, 1934 2,334,320 Evans Nov. 16,1943 

